Phil Mushnick

Phil Mushnick

NFL

Even TV’s most honorable now ignore worst behavior

Perhaps the saddest development — or disintegration — TV has presented in the 32 years of this column is the near-extinction of microphone-attached men who recognize right from wrong, but choose to pander to the latter. It seems few wish to risk the wrath of modern fools who have been fully marketed, from a young age, to be just that.

Thus, those in TV who might be confident and secure enough to at least try to be heard in support of right do the duck-and-cover. Their silence in the clear sight of clear wrong becomes conspicuous, then disappointing, then anticipated as they carefully pick their spots.

Mike Breen, lead caller of NBA games for both ESPN and MSG, I have long known to be thoroughly decent and right-headed. On and off the air, he’s a sportsman and a gentleman. He’s wise enough and, by now, should be secure enough to let us know the ugly we just witnessed doesn’t meet with his standards, either.

Yet his calls — specifically, his reactions to clear wrongs — have begun to be lost to silence, as if he has chosen to join the compromised, capitulated and frightened.

Sunday, as its national telecast, ESPN on ABC chose Knicks at Bulls. Naturally. The game held little promise of being competitive, but included top 3 TV market teams.

Mike BreenGetty Images

Late in the third quarter — the Knicks on one of their relentless, no-better-idea fades — Tim Hardaway Jr. was on a break toward an easy two when the Bulls’ D.J. Augustin armed him around the neck, knocking Hardaway off balance and eventually to the floor.

Augustin’s reaction was revolting. Not only did he make no attempt to break Hardaway’s fall, he sneered. He showed no remorse or minimal concern. Instead, he produced a look of badass disdain, as if he didn’t care about breaking an opponent’s neck or legs, let alone his fall.

Breen had to have hated what he had just seen from Augustin. He had to have hated it, even as a matter of new-age, badass basketball protocol.

Here was a chance to let us know that even after a dangerous foul had been committed, Breen recognized Augustin chose to make matters worse by demonstrating, as a matter of obligatory, misguided macho, that he didn’t give a rat’s rectum about his victim.

But Breen said nothing. And given it was Breen, his silence was conspicuous, as if he had weighed such ugliness, then chose to be heard as neutral.

Moments later, Breen sent it to ESPN’s studio, where Sage Steele narrated a single “highlight,” from the previous night’s Pelicans-Clippers game.

As “highlights” go, it was standard ESPN. The Clippers’ Matt Barnes was alone on a break when, rather than score the easy two, he threw it off the backboard for trailing teammate Deandre Jordan to catch and slam. It wasn’t a game highlight; it was a showboating stunt, and, given the options, a dangerous one, that residually humiliated an opponent who already was thoroughly beaten.

But, again, such is ESPN’s sense of and regard for sports. As a game’s one highlight, it presented a field goal scored late in a blowout.

And when it was returned to Breen, I was expecting — hoping for — something that hinted his disapproval of both the play and its selection for attention. Something like, “Rubbing it in like that couldn’t have pleased New Orleans,” or “I’m not sure that’s the preferred way to score on a two-on-none.”

Those who know right from wrong, and sports from what they have become, needed to know Breen knew he’s on our side, at least a hint there are times when he doesn’t share ESPN’s values.

But again, Breen said nothing. Conspicuous, disappointing nothing.

When TV’s strong guys — those precious few remaining professional witnesses, those credible enough, confident enough and caring enough to make a difference, or at least go down fighting — see wrong but say nothing, well, they may as well enlist with the yahoos.

NFL’s real N-word problem not on the field

Not sure why the NFL would choose to now punish players who use the “N-word.” Heck, one of President Obama’s most cherished campaigners, campaign contributors and pals, Jay Z, has for years publicly referred to black men as “N—-s.”

President and Mrs. Obama recently smiled and arm-danced their approval to Snoop Dogg’s act when Dogg — or whatever his name is these days — was honored for lifetime achievement at the Kennedy Center. Before Jay Z, Snoop Dogg’s recordings regularly called black men the N-word.

Just a shame Snoop didn’t choose to entertain the president and first lady with one of his numbers, such as “For All My N—-z & Bitches.” He might have even treated the first family to snippets from his hard-core porn video.

Meanwhile, the NFL Players Association and its members have no problem with Jay Z serving as an NFL player agent. And the NFL, in the name of tune-in TV entertainment, invites performers whose enterprise includes calling African-American men “N—-s.”

The ship long ago sailed on this one, Commissioner Goodell. It’s a world gone nuts. After all, if the president and first lady have no problem with the N-word …

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